Synopsis The SCOTIA SUE flooded and sank to the bulwarks at her berth. No one was on board. Until the end of the 1992 season, the 25-year-old vessel had been used to take tourists and others for sightseeing trips in and around Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia. The Board determined that the uninspected SCOTIA SUE sank because the hull was in a deteriorated condition, a sprung plank in the hull caused an ingress of water, and power to the automatic bilge pump was disconnected. 1.0 Factual Information 1.1 Particulars of the Vessel Official Number - 330243 Registry - Port of Barrington Passage, Nova Scotia Type - Cape Islander Gross Tons - 13.8 Length - 10.7 m Built - 1969 Propulsion - 218 kW2 motor Owner - Mr. Elliot C. Richard Halifax, Nova Scotia 1.1.1 Description of the Vessel The SCOTIA SUE is of Cape Island open boat design, originally used in the inshore fishing industry. (See photographs at Appendix A.) She was purchased by the present owner in 1986 and has since been used in the tour/charter/passenger/ fishing trips trade in and around the Halifax area. The timber hull is of carvel construction and the wheel-house is built mainly of plywood. 1 Units of measurement in this report conform to International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards or, where there is no such standard, are expressed in the International System (SI) of units. 2 See Glossary for all abbreviations and acronyms. 1.2 The Occurrence On the morning of 18 May 1993, the SCOTIA SUE was discovered awash to the bulwarks alongside her berth in Halifax Harbour. It was later found that the shore electrical supply to the vessel's bilge pump had been disconnected. The vessel was not in service and there was no one aboard. 1.3 SCOTIA SUE - General Condition It was found that the stem was heavily rotted and damaged as were parts of the deck and the sheer strake. 1.4 Bilge Pumping Arrangement To ensure that the bilge was regularly pumped out, the owner arranged electrical power from a shore connection to an automatic bilge pump in the engine compartment. The capacity of the bilge pump was stated by the owner to be 124 L/min. During the night of 17 May to 18 May, the electrical supply cable was disconnected by person(s) unknown. 1.5 Source of the Ingress of Water The SCOTIA SUE was hauled out of the water. The source of the ingress was found to be in the strake immediately below the scuppers, on the starboard side, in the wind and water area. A plank was found to have sprung over a length of approximately 4.3 m. 1.6 Life-saving Appliances The vessel was equipped with a 10-person liferaft, 2 lifebuoys and 22 lifejackets. 1.7 Canadian Coast Guard Ship Safety Branch - Steamship Inspection Certificate (SIC 16) The last inspection carried out by the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) Ship Safety Branch confirmed that the SCOTIA SUE was a vessel to which the Safety Convention did not apply, plying as a passenger ship on voyages not beyond Home Trade, Class IV. The owner did not apply to the CCG for reinspection of his vessel after 30 September 1991. 1.8 Voyage Limits The vessel's last inspection certificate was dated 08 July 1991; it had expired on 30 September 1991. The certificate limited the vessel's voyages to Halifax Harbour, Bedford Basin, Northwest Arm and between Shut In Island and Peggy's Cove not more than 5 miles from land in fine weather only. (See chartlet of the occurrence area at Appendix B.) In a Nova Scotia Tourism Culture publication, the owner advertises trips to Sable Island, operating year round. 1.9 Operating Procedures In 1991, the vessel, which had been in operation since 1986, carried approximately 1,500 passengers and, in 1992, approximately 750. Some 45 to 50 per cent of these passengers were transported under charter agreements, mainly for fishing and sightseeing trips. Currently, there are no Canadian regulations applicable to charter vessels, but regulations do exist for passenger vessels operating for hire and carrying more than 12 people. The SCOTIA SUE was permitted to carry 18 passengers by her SIC 16, but the vessel's owner had voluntarily reduced this number to 12. 1.10 Operator's Qualifications The owner, who often had the conduct of the vessel, had no valid Certificate of Competency and had received no formal Marine Emergency Duties training. On other occasions, the vessel was used in passenger-carrying trades with another uncertificated person in charge. 1.11 Charter Vessels Concerned about the safe operation of some charter vessels, the CCG Ship Safety Branch issued an Information Paper regarding Charter Vesselson 27 October 1986, which was presented to the Marine Safety Advisory Council. On 19 June 1987, the CCG Ship Safety Branch issued Ship Safety Bulletin (SSB) No. 7/87 to clarify the application and implementation of the Passenger Vessel Compliance Program (PVCP) discussed in the Information Paper. The PVCP is intended for vessels characterizing themselves as pleasure craft, fishing or other types of vessel, but which are in fact carrying passengers and purport to be charter vessels. On 23 November 1988, the CCG Ship Safety Branch issued SSB No. 17/88 to replace SSB No. 7/87. This later document was to assist owners of small passenger vessels to meet the requirements of the PVCP and to bring charter vessels into compliance with the Canada Shipping Act (CSA) as passenger ships. On 25 January 1990, the CCG Ship Safety Branch issued SSB No. 2/90 to replace SSB No. 17/88. The bulletin advised that the PVCP three-year phase to upgrade vessels and the certification of crews terminated, as planned, on 31 December 1989. The bulletin also announced that regulations regarding these passenger vessels and the number of passengers carried, the class of voyage, etc., were in the drafting stage. These regulations have not been promulgated. 1.12 Charter Vessel Owners Voluntary Association The owner of the SCOTIA SUE is a member of a voluntary association, some of the goals of which are charter vessel registration and Canadian Steamship Inspection. However, the membership has not yet reached a consensus on agreed standards or on the approach the association should take to the CCG Ship Safety Branch. Under existing legislation, these vessels are only inspected upon request from the owners; therefore, the CCG has not initiated any action to inspect such vessels or to ascertain the operators' qualifications.